35mm SLR back on 4x5

[crabby]

I see backs available on Ebay (UK) for about $100 including shipping. I could mount Nikon SLR's and DSLR's on my 4x5.

The only advantage I can see is closeup photography. My widest lens is a 90mm f6.8. I assume I would need a super-expensive wide angle to obtain a normal view with 35mm.

Anyone using a 35mm SLR back, either store bought or home-made?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The other use for these is that you could attach your SLR to the back of a view camera, then using either the sliding function on the adapter, if it has one, or the rear rise/fall and shift movements, you could take several photographs of a larger area, print them, line them up on a light table and cut them with a straightedge and an X-acto knife so they butt together perfectly, and mount them together. At least that's the analogue way of doing it, but it seems much easier just to use a sheet of 4x5" film, if you've got a 4x5" camera.

 

[archphoto]

The only reason to obtain such a back is for extreme macro if you don't want to buy a bellows for your (D)SLR and have the 4x5 anyway.
For 35 I would no go that way, for Hasselblad (6x6cm) I can imagine for close-ups and macro or even photo's with shift and tilt.
Your 90mm is a standard length for 6x6, or close to it.

 

[PhotoJim]

Bear in mind that the resolution of large format lenses is not that great compared to 35mm. They don't have to be that high in resolution - a 4x5 negative or positive simply doesn't need much enlargement to give a good image size. 35mm negatives, however, require major enlargement so resolution is very, very important.

 

[John Koehrer]

Another hard way to do something is use the camera with a lens head. Since most long telephotos have the elements at the front you could split the optic apart & attach them to the front standard. I did something similar once with a 135mm Tessar on a Nikon but just used a Nikon bellows. Used the shutter with the lens for exposures.

 

[removed account4]

i used a recomar 35 ( kodachrome ) back on my 35mm for a while
because i was using old brass, single cell, &C lenses that i couldn't fit on my
35mm. it was a lot of fun!

 

[Chuck Peacock]

I think I saw one that allowed you to move the SLR around in the 4x5 plane.

I think the idea was that you could then stitch 25 or so APS size images into a 4x5 composite. More work than I want to do, but it would let you get a 4x5 image with 250 megapixels on the cheap.

Chuck

 

[John Koehrer]

On further thought(?) your 90 would be a portrait length for the 35mm body and should focus to infinity and beyond! I think you're going to be hard pressed to find anything in a shorter fl that would allow inf. focus.
An extreme WA is still going to have to get within it's fl to make infinity. Just because the format changes, a 90 is still a 90 the coverage would have to change as you go between formats.

 

[Jim Jones]

Mounting a 35mm SLR on a view camera isn't practical for most photography. However, it isn't difficult for most cameras. I mounted an old T-Mount to plywood cut and rabbeted to fit my view cameras. It does permit me to use lenses mounted on LF lens boards.